Three Arrested in Connection to Armed Robbery of Macon Waffle House

Macon City Hall

Macon, Ga. - Authorities in Macon-Bibb County have arrested three suspects that are allegedly responsible for the armed robbery of a local Waffle House location.

As of right now, it is also believed that the same suspects may have been responsible for several other Waffle House robberies across the state. Police have released the following statement:

“Two of the suspects were taken into custody in Clayton County, by members of the F.B.I., on Friday. The third suspect was located on Interstate 475 after a tip was received that he would be traveling through Bibb County. Members of the Bibb Sheriff's Special Response Team, Patrol Division, Investigations Division, and members from the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force were able to take the third suspect into custody, without incident."

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney, I'd like to point out that there is a huge difference between robbery and armed robbery in the state of Georgia. In today's post, I will explain what distinguishes the crime of robbery and the crime of armed robbery by law.

Robbery and Armed Robbery in Georgia

The Georgia Code in O.C.G.A. §16-8-40 defines robbery in Georgia as:

A person commits robbery when they take property from another person or the immediate presence of another person with the intent to commit theft.

There are technically three ways that a robbery can be carried out. Through use of force, through intimidation, threat, or placing the other person in fear of immediate serious bodily injury to himself or another, or by sudden snatching.

Robbery is classified as a felony in Georgia. The penalties can include a prison sentence for a period of one to twenty years. However the consequences for robbing a person aged 65 or older increases the prison term to no less than five years and no more than twenty.

Now the Georgia Code in O.C.G.A. §16-8-41 defines armed robbery in Georgia as:

A person commits the offense of armed robbery when, with intent to commit theft, he or she takes property of another from the person or the immediate presence of another by use of an offensive weapon, or any replica, article, or device have the appearance of such weapon.

Armed robbery is classified as a felony in Georgia. The penalties for an armed robbery conviction are severe. A conviction of Armed Robbery carries a potential sentence of ten to twenty years in prison with the very minimum being ten years in prison with no early release. Prison terms for life are another common penalty for Armed Robbery. The most severe penalty in Georgia for Armed Robbery is the death penalty.

Practice Note

As you can see from the laws above - the most important difference between robbery and armed robbery is the penalty portion. If arrested for armed robbery, call us today. Our attorneys are well experienced with applying Georgia Criminal Defenses.